God’s Omniscience and Control; April 16, 2024

Posted on April 17, 2024 by jgarrott

Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

When you think about it, the response of the people of Nineveh, from the common people up through the king, was nothing short of miraculous. In my book, it seems more miraculous than Jonah being preserved for three days inside the fish/whale! There was no logical reason why this heavily populated city would respond as they did to a singular, foreign, prophet. However, nothing is impossible for God! (Luke 1:37) The point is, God did all of this for multiple reasons. First, He wanted to correct the behavior of the people of Nineveh. They weren’t “His” people the way the Jews were, but He does not rejoice in evil whoever is doing it, and He doesn’t rejoice in anyone’s death, as we read just a few days ago. Second, He wanted to give a powerful foreshadowing of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. (Matthew 12:40) And third, He wanted to teach Jonah, and by extension, all who would learn about him, some powerful lessons, both about the importance of obeying God and about God’s character. God hardly ever does anything for just one purpose. There are no “unintended consequences” with Him! We know only the past and present, and our perception of those is fuzzy at best. However, God knows every detail from the moment of creation to the end of the universe, and His actions operate on everything at once. We often don’t know why thing happen, either good things or bad things, but we need to trust God for being in control, whatever it looks like to us in the moment.

This is something I have had to learn, and I need to keep remembering it. Things are happening on the world stage that grab my attention, yet I see no direct connection to me. Things happen to and around me, and I don’t see how they affect anyone else. I need to remember that a fly landing on the deck of an aircraft carrier actually affects it, though to a degree too small for us to measure. I need to trust God enough to allow Him to use me to affect things I know nothing about, and at the same time receive the blessings He intends for me through things that might seem to be unconnected to me. That is frankly a tall order! I am still growing, and I need to be at peace with that. Knowing God’s character, I need to trust and thank Him for everything going on in the world, knowing that the ultimate outcome will be glorious indeed. I can’t see around the next corner, but He sees everything, and He is love itself. (1 John 4:8)

Father, thank You for this reminder. There are various things that have us stirred up at the moment, from the political situation in the Middle East through the upcoming election in the US to my brother-in-law’s medical situation to the medical tests I’ll be having this morning. Help me trust You with every detail, listening to You for how I am to respond to each thing, whether it be prayer, proclamation, or direct action. May indeed Your name be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Priorities; April 15, 2024

Posted on April 16, 2024 by jgarrott

Amos 5:4 This is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:
“Seek me and live.”

The Old Testament prophets spent a lot of their time calling people to repentance. Amos operated in the Northern Kingdom, that was eventually conquered by Assyria. They had already lost their ties to Jerusalem and the temple Solomon built, so those who remembered their history, at least, tended to associate God with other places where He had interacted with their ancestors. That’s why, in the next verse, God tells them not to seek out those locations, in contrast to what He says here: to seek Him. God used Amos and other prophets to tell the people that He Himself was the way to life, but they didn’t listen very well. The same thing may be said today. Those who know God through the Gospel are calling people to life, to joy and peace, but the devil has so blinded nonbelievers that they prefer their physical pleasures to their Creator. Circumstances change, but human nature remains the same! The world we live in today would be totally unrecognizable to Amos and those he spoke to, but the spiritual realities are remarkably consistent. We have so many physical luxuries that we forget we need God, and that puts us in the same place as the people to whom Amos was speaking. God is the only source of life, and without repentance, that becomes an inescapable discovery. Those who do know Him need to keep watch over their own priorities, because it is all too easy to slip into the world’s thought patterns. If our priorities are right, we will also be active in seeking God, so that we and they too may live.

I have spent the majority of my life as a pastor, but that doesn’t mean my priorities have always been right. The pressures of the world and the devil are unrelenting, so I’ve got to be intentional and consistent in seeking God, His kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) Everything else is momentary at best, and actively destructive at worst. That doesn’t mean that I’m to ignore the world around me, but I am to be salt and light, changing the world rather than being shaped by it. (Romans 12:2) I am to be a consistent demonstration of the love and grace of God, so that people may know that He exists, and that He is as available to them as He is to me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the message through my sister in faith in the service yesterday, and for the business meeting and all that went on in it. Thank You that some people are waking up to the reality that You have plans to use them, for Your kingdom and Your glory. I pray that everyone in the church would wake up to that degree, at least, so that we may be an effective squad in Your army, causing Your name to be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Heart Attitude; April 14, 2024

Posted on April 15, 2024 by jgarrott

Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? He will realize these things.
Who is discerning? He will understand them.
The ways of the Lord are right;
the righteous walk in them,
but the rebellious stumble in them.

The first half of this verse brings to mind several other verses, the most famous of which being, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Pro­verbs 9:10) The Japanese uses the term loved in Buddhism, “satori” (noun) or “satoru,” (verb) saying, “Whoever has wisdom, let him discern (satoru) these things; whoever has discernment (satori), let him know them well.” The second half of the verse is even more interesting in the Japanese: “The Lord’s road is smooth. Righteous people walk on it, but rebellious people stumble on it.” In other words, if your heart is turned toward God, His way is the easiest of all. However, if your heart is turned against Him, His way seems impossible. Everything depends on our heart attitude. If our attitude is right, then we will gain more and more knowledge and understanding of the Lord and His ways, and it will seem easy and delightful. If our attitude is not right, then God will seem mysterious and unknowable, and His demands impossible to satisfy. God doesn’t change, but our attitude makes all the difference. That’s why Jesus repeatedly told us to be like little children. Children can be rebellious too, but properly raised, their big distinctive is trust. They are dependent on their parents and know it instinctively, expecting their needs to be met. If we are to walk properly in all that God has prepared for us, then we will be the same. There are countless videos circulating on the Internet of little children delighting in their parents, and we need to be the same way. That’s the heart attitude that will bring us the peace, joy, and satisfaction that we desire.

I had the enormous blessing of being raised by wise parents who loved and followed God. That’s why, at age five, I said to my moth­er, “Mommy, I really, really love you, but I don’t love you nearly as much as I love Jesus.” (They reported that in their Christmas newsletter that year.) I wish I could say that I have always maintained that attitude, but it has been a foundation to which I have returned time and time again. When I encounter things that aren’t pleasing to me in the moment, I need to remember that everything God allows in my life is for my ultimate benefit, if I will respond in trust and obedience. If that is my attitude, then it will be easy to do as Paul advised: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Father, thank You for this reminder. All sorts of things are changing around me, and I need to stay grounded in You. May my attitude always be right, not just for my blessing but so that others may also be drawn to You, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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What God Wants; April 13, 2024

Posted on April 14, 2024 by jgarrott

Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

I find these six verses very interesting. The first verse seems like a very commendable call to repentance, and the second could well be a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The third verse is a very good call to seek the Lord, beautifully set to music in Japanese, which I was delighted to translate into English. However, verses four and five indicate God’s exasperation with people saying the right things but failing to live them out, and then we come to this verse. This sentiment is expressed multiple times in various ways throughout the Bible. You could say that the opposition of the Jewish leaders, that resulted in Jesus’ arrest and execution, was from precisely this point, because they were all about external behaviors, instead of changed hearts. The particular expressions in this verse speak strong­ly to me. The NIV says “mercy” here, but the ESV says “steadfast love,” and the Japanese agrees with that. We should understand that, because of our human pursuit of “true love,” celebrated in countless stories and songs. Human love tends to be as dependable as a spring breeze, but God’s love is as reliable as the tides of the ocean. And then it speaks of the knowledge of God. There was a song decades ago that said, “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him, and I do.” That is certainly true of God! If you claim to know Him but fail to love Him, then you don’t really know Him, and if you claim to love Him but don’t obey Him, then you are deceiving yourself. (John 14:15)

As I think is true for every believer, I have been less than consistent in all of this. I have had times of intense emotion and devotion to the Lord, and I have had times when He was no more than a footnote to my life. I don’t think I have to say which is better! One thing I really look forward to about heaven is that there will be no more wavering, but only constant awareness of and fellowship with my Lord. As the Bill Gaither song says, “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.” However, I’m not completely there yet. Meanwhile, I have the opportunity and responsibility to teach others about God and lead them to love Him as I do, or even better. Every experience of my life has been to teach me about Him and about myself, and if I can share that effectively, other people may be spared some of the trauma I’ve had in learning the lessons. I want everyone to have the steadfast love for God that He desires!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for my finally getting around to just visiting with our neighbor across the street. We’ve known each other for 25 years, but I think yesterday was the most I’ve ever expressed the Gospel to him. Thank You for his response. I pray that You would guide each succeeding meeting, that he too would come to know and love You, for his salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Bought; April 12, 2024

Posted on April 13, 2024 by jgarrott

Hosea 3:2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.

The story of Hosea and Gomer is a heart-wrenching one, but it expresses a very important spiritual truth. We belong to God by reason of creation, but we have given our love and allegiance to a wide variety of other things, effectively becoming their slaves. Jesus said explicitly, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) Gomer had gone after sensual pleasure, and had literally become a slave in the process. We see that today in girls who go into pornography, both for the money and for the sensual thrill of it, only to discover that they have ruined all their hopes for eventual happiness in life, because what man is going to want such “damaged goods” for a wife? However, God had prepared Hosea for Gomer, and he literally purchased his wife back from the mess she had gotten herself into. The rest of the book explains that this is what God has done for His people, even though Hosea didn’t know that the ultimate purchase price would be the Son of God Himself. Paul put it this way: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) God paid much more for us than Hosea did for Gomer! We need to live as those who belong to Him.

I have always been moved by the story of Hosea and Gomer, and have been more than grateful that God didn’t call me to act as Hosea did. Next month will mark 55 years of our marriage, and my wife has never given me the slightest reason to doubt her complete faithfulness. Conversely, the devil has tempted me with mental games, but I am deeply grateful that I have never acted on such. However, I need to recognize that I have not been totally faithful to God. I have let other things take priority more times than I could count. I have been adept at excusing myself, but that is a sham and an illusion. Repentance means owning up to what I have done and then stopping doing it. However, I have experienced that God’s forgiveness is real and effective, freeing and cleansing me from whatever I have stepped in. As a pastor, I have the privilege of sharing with others that such forgiveness is available to them as well, and that by God’s grace we can grow into the faithfulness that He desires.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You indeed for Your overflowing grace toward me. May I be an effective channel of that grace to others, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faithfulness; April 11, 2024

Posted on April 12, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 33:18-19 “If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so.”

This is the second time the Lord has spoken to Ezekiel on this subject, the first being back in Ezekiel 3, which we had April 7th. That time, the focus seemed to be more on the responsibility of the watchman, which is mentioned here, but this time the emphasis seems to be on the response of the people. We’d better be paying attention! This throws a real wrench into Calvinism, or at least in the way a lot of people interpret Calvinism. It certainly doesn’t sound much like “Once saved, always saved!” The thing is, there are many tensions in faith, generated, I think, by our very limited perspective. God sees everything all the time, past, present, and future, so He knows what we will do because from His perspective, we’ve already done it. I think the lesson we need to take from this passage is that we aren’t to get cocky and presumptive because “we’re good people,” and also that genuine repentance is truly effective. David is an excellent case in point, because he started well, fell very badly, and yet ended his physical life in a good place, spiritually speaking. We aren’t to live in terror that we will fall, but rather know that it is only by God’s grace that we stand, and walk in obedient trust. (1 Corinthians 10:12) We should have a bedrock awareness that we can’t go it alone, but when we abide in Christ, we’ve got nothing to worry about. (Philippians 1:6)

I’m all too familiar with presumption and hubris. I think I have an advanced degree in it! I need to approach each day in humility and gratitude, amazed that God would choose to love and use such a one as I am, and yet be absolutely assured that He can and does. I am not to trust in what I do for God, but rather in the One who enables me to do it. I am frequently reminded that I am no more perfect than Paul was, (Philippians 3:12-14) nor immune to temptation, and so need to keep my trust in my Savior, and not in myself. My goal is to be faithfulness, doing what He wants me to do when and How He wants me to do it, on every level, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I’ve long been aware that this issue comes up twice in Ezekiel, but I haven’t always been a faithful watchman. Help me indeed speak what You are saying, in warning, encouragement, blessing, and whatever else You want to do through me, so that people may be drawn into right relationship with You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Death; April 10, 2024

Posted on April 11, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 18:32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

This whole section is a refutation of the image the devil tries to project on us of what God is like. The devil wants us to see God as just waiting in heaven to strike us down if we displease Him. If that were the case, the world would have been destroyed a long time ago! God’s perfect justice requires Him to punish iniquity, so that’s why He sent His Son to take that punishment on Himself, so that all who believe in Him may be set free from their sins and live. That’s what John 3:16 is all about. Back specifically to this verse, physical death is an inevitability for all of us. There is a hospice nurse (who goes by hospicenursejulie on social media) who has a very compassionate and helpful channel on YouTube. Many people don’t want to confront, much less accept, that reality, but that doesn’t change anything. The important thing is a right relationship with our Creator so that we will have His eternal life, making our physical life just a brief, though important, footnote in our existence. As it says in Hebrews, the fear of death makes us slaves. (Hebrews 2:15) God wants us all to be liberated by the truth of His grace, mercy and love. (John 8:32)

Over 40 years ago there was a group that produced some very anointed songs that were Old Testament Scriptures set to music. I wish I could remember their group name, so I could look them up! One of their songs included this verse, and it has stayed with me ever since. I have thought a lot about death, and as a pastor I have “seen a lot of people off,” you might say. It’s never easy on the survivors, because of the temporal loss, but there is a world of difference between believers and nonbelievers in that situation. I have had joy in some cases, knowing where the people were going, and I have had profound regret in other cases. Absent an open commitment to Christ, all I can do is submit them to God, since I cannot tell their family, “They’re in heaven.” I have absolutely no fear of death myself, but I am concerned for those I will leave behind. That’s why I pray that my wife will go before I do, to spare her that. However, I’d like to keep her around as long as possible! Meanwhile, I seek to take as many people as possible with me, to rejoice before God’s throne together.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the deep assurance of salvation that You have given me. May that assurance be rightly imparted to as many as possible, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Hidden Hypocrisy; April 9, 2024

Posted on April 10, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 14:3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?”

This is a very interesting section. Some of the elders of the exiles had come to Ezekiel in a show of piety, but God knew everything in their hearts and lives, and He wasn’t about to be taken in. The same sort of thing happens today, with people making a show of being on the church board and the like, all the while they are living in direct opposition to God. Today (at least in America) they wouldn’t have religious idols actually installed in their homes, but any of a number of things could well be an idol in their heart. It’s interesting to note that in verses 9 and 10 it goes on to say that the minister who swallows the hypocrisy is in deep trouble too. God is not to be trifled with! It is actually amazing, when you think about it, that so many people seem to think they can manipulate God and use Him for their ends. Trying to do that will be the end of them! As David recognized, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17) Humility is essential!

This is dangerous territory for me, because I am all too familiar with spiritual pride in my own heart. That makes it fairly easy for me to spot such pride in others, but I must never respond in a “holier-than-thou” fashion. I know how dangerous hypocrisy can be from my own experience, and so need to be merciful toward others. Sometimes the Lord gives me, or particularly my wife, a “word of know­ledge” (1 Corinthians 12:8) about someone, filling us in on what they have been doing in secret (or so they think). We are always to seek God’s wisdom and guidance as to what to do with that information, but we are never to take it lightly. In the past, some people have responded in repentance and some have responded by getting away from us. Repentance is always the desirable outcome! However, that will not happen unless we speak the truth in love, however much it might shock them that we know it.

Father, I’ve been on the receiving end of such experiences, as well as on the giving end. May I always operate in humility and love, continuing to grow as well as helping others to grow, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Results of Repentance; April 8, 2024

Posted on April 9, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 11:18-20 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

And here we have the results of repentance. In the first place, the Jews discarded their idols, that is, the things that had come between them and God. In places like the US that don’t have many physical statues of deities, the idea of idolatry doesn’t necessarily click, but it’s no accident that popular entertainers are called idols. That can be all too accurate! All sorts of things can come between us and God, and repentance involves getting them out of the way. The second thing is that God responds to genuine repentance by giving us a new heart. To be honest, our old heart loves the idols, the things we have set up in place of God, and God has to change that. However, our own will is involved, and that is an essential part of repentance. We need to choose to be different. If we will make that choice, God will bring it to pass. And the result of all of that is that our lifestyle will change, from avoiding God to seeking Him, from flaunting our disobedience to obeying Him in humility and gratitude. That can be such a dramatic change that people all around us will notice and be influenced. That is one of the most powerful forms of evangelism!

Just recently a lady in this church, who moved here from another city, gave a testimony in which she explained how she had come to Christ. She is a music teacher, and she had a voice student who was so negative and pessimistic that it was depressing dealing with her. Then that student moved to another town, and after some time they had a telephone conversation. The former student was so up-beat and happy that the music teacher thought she might be talking to a different person! It turned out the student had made a friend in her new location who was a Christian, and before long the student opened her own heart to Christ and was transformed. The music teacher was so impressed that she sought out a church herself, and before long she discovered what it was all about. Transformation is contagious! I have been a Christian for so long that probably even my siblings have no memory of me from before that, but my life still needs to be an example of what it is to walk with Christ. My problem as a Caucasian missionary in Japan is that people tend to explain away my lifestyle as simply American. They don’t know some of the Americans I do! Besides, I still mess up on a pretty regular basis, and I have to keep my repentance up to date. I too have the tendency to let things come between me and God, and I have to deal with that as soon as I realize it. Also, I have learned the hard way that I can’t walk the right path on my own; I’ve got to have God’s guidance, protection, and support. It is only when I walk in that humility that I walk right, and others can be drawn to Him through me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the strong reminder yesterday of my human fallibility. Thank You for prompting me to withdraw for a while so that I didn’t compound the problem, and for enabling me to apologize appropriately. Help me indeed let go of my “rights,” because they come between me and Your children, and even between me and You. May I be the obedient vessel that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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The Evangelistic Imperative; April 7, 2024

Posted on April 8, 2024 by jgarrott

Ezekiel 3:18 “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,” and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die and I will hold you accountable for his blood.”

Talk about a scary verse! We tend to think of repentance as a purely individual thing, but God is saying that if those who know better fail to call others to repentance, they bear responsibility! We don’t want to hear that! This is an explicit condemnation of preachers who never talk about sin, but only about things like “your best life now.” And who warns those preachers? We are all urgently in need of the grace of God! The thing is, it is very true that no one can repent on behalf another person, but we are responsible to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” (Colossians 3:16) The Body of Christ is an organism, not an organization, and we are indeed responsible for each other. Of course, this Word to Ezekiel also speaks to the evangelistic imperative, because people will not turn to Christ for salvation unless they know about Him, and with very few exceptions, that means that someone who already knows Him will have to introduce them to Him. And it’s no use claiming inability, because we are all dependent on God working through us. Evangelistic gifting is a real thing, and not everyone has it by any means, but excusing your silence by saying, “I’m not gifted that way” doesn’t cut it with God, as He made very clear to Ezekiel.

Ouch! I may be a missionary pastor, but I have used my lack of gifting as an evangelist as an excuse more times than I could count. I’m not responsible for how the message is received, but I am responsible for getting it out there! Japan is certainly a “target-rich environment,” but then, everywhere in the world is, even ostensibly Christian countries like the US. No one is born knowing the way of salvation, so someone needs to tell them. I am a man of words, but I need to be more intentional in having those words call people to repentance and faith for their salvation. We have been living in this location for 25 years now, and I’m not sure I’ve given a clear Gospel presentation to any of our current neighbors. I have talked about the Gospel with various people across the city who have since died, and they are in God’s hands, with my responsibility discharged. However, there are so many more! I am to be sensitive to every opportunity the Lord gives me to communicate the Gospel, whether in words or otherwise, so that all that He is calling may come into His family, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this strong reminder. Thank You for the specific person You brought to mind. I ask for wisdom and anointing so that He may be brought from death to life, and soon, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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